Railway



May 9, 1933. .I. L. GE'rAz 1,908,673

RAILWAY Filed Aug. 15, 1929 3 sheets-sheet 1 Tr::1.l.

J. l.. GETAz l May 9, 1933.

RAILWAY Filed Aug. 1.5, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JAMES L. GETAZ y72,115* aZ'Zar/zey May`9, 1933. J. L. GETAZ 1,908,673

RAILWAY Filed Aug. 15 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented lVlay 9, 1933 JAMESL. GETAZ, OF MARYVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TQ HUGH W. SANFORD, OFKNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE RAILWAY Application filed August 13, 1929.

My invention relates to railways and particularly railways wherein loosematerial is carried from a point of loading to another point where it isautomatically dumped. Illhe invention is particularly useful inconnection with the transportation and dumping of soft minerals, whichit is desired to maintain in the sizes in which they exist when loaded,and which cannot be further broken up without loss.

Among the objects of the invention may be mentioned the provision of arailway including dump cars and means external to the cars for dumpingVthem and for returning the cars to loading position. Another object isthe provision of automatic means for dumping the cars at a point wherethe miniinuni tall of the loaded material will result and hence aminimum breakage thereof. Further objects will appear upon considerationof the present specilication.

rEhe invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein- Figure l is a longitudinal section of a dump car andassociated parts all constructed in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the car and associated parts illustratedin Figure l, as seen from the left in Figure l,

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of the car and associated parts shownin Figure l, the car beino in dumping position,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the car and associated parts, thecar being returned to loading position, and

Fig. 5 is a tragmental plan view of a car bottom and its latching andtripping mechanism.

`Where soitmaterial such as some kinds of ore, and particularly softcoal, is dumped from dump cars, it is generally of vimportance that theload in the car shall not be allowed to fall any great distance. In thecase of soft coal, for instance, such a fall will break up the largelumps and materially reduce the size of the coal, as well as produce alarge precentage of slack. The value of the coal is thus greatlydiminished by such dumping. l have found that, by giving Serial No.385,492.

dump cars a certain special construction, and by providing certain otherparts independent ot the car but associated with the roadway upon whichthe car travels, it is possible to dump the cars in such a way as togive a minimum breakage of the material with which they are loaded.Although the invention is useful in connection with other materials thancoal, the description for simplicity will be limited to coal.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown dump car l1, having atraction truck frame comprising side sills lla and end sills 11b, axlesllc supporting the frame, and

wheels '1Q running on tracks 13, carried in the usual manner upon ties14;, placed in a road-bed l5. The car has a dumping bottom composed ofsections 16, which are preferably iiat, having hinges 17 about whichthey are adapted to swing. The sections 16 here shown constitute aplurality of dropy doors hinged transversely of the length of the car,and they constitute at least a part of the bottom of the can The bottomsections are formed to give the car as nearly as possible a flat bottom,andare hinged as low possible, both conditions tondino' to insure amaximum car capacity. The 7loot tom sections 16 are independent, as willbe seen from the following description. It is found desirable to have atleast portions of the car bottom lying below the plane of the tops ofthe axle journals, and also below the plane of the bottoms of the sidesills. In the case illustrated the drop doors or sections 16 lieentirely below the axles llc. The

vsections 16 are held in the closed or loading position (see Figure l)by means of hinged latches 18, which support their free ends. However,it is to be understood that the hinged latches 18 here described by wayof illustration are only one form of supporting means adapted tomaintain one edge of each of the sections or doors in closed positionand upon withdrawal to release the edges or the doors permitting them todrop, or swing downward on their hinges.

I also provide longitudinally movable releasing means connected with thesupporting means employed. In the illustration here given, the hingedlatches 18 are pivoted adjacent the unhinged ends 19 to a controller orside bar 2O which connects all of the hinged latches and is positionedin the present illust-ration beneath the car. I prefer to provide twosuch controller or side bars 20, one near each side of the car, but bothacting in unison because both are connected to each of the hinges.Mechanical means are provided for actuating the controller bars 20, oneform of which will now be described. One end of each controller bar ispivotally connected with therfree end of a connecting bar 21 which hasformed in the opposite end thereof an eye 22, and an eccentric 23 ispositioned within the eye 22 for a purpose which will subsequently bedescribed. There are thus provided two controller or side bars 20 andconnecting bars 21 each formed with an'eye 22 at its end, and each eyecontaining an eccentric 23 therein. Thus the longitudinally movable sidebar 2O releases the doors 16 by motion in one direction, and latchesthem closed by motion in the opposite direction.

The eccentrics 23 are connected by a shaft 24 so that they will act inunison, and the shaft is carried in bearings 25 which are fast to theframework of the car. Mounted on the shaft 24 are two flanged wheels 26and 27, each flanged wheel being keyed to the shaft so that the wheelsand the shaft will rotate together.

Vound about the flanged Wheel 26 is a connection, which may be aflexible connection,for instance a chain 28, having one end attached tothe lianged wheel. The other end of the chain 28 is attached to a lever29, which is pivoted at a point 30 upon the dump car 11. The end 31 ofthe lever 29 fartherest from the pivot 30, extends in a generallyhorizontal direction past the chain 28 and beyond the adjacent wheel 12of the dump car.

The 'flanged wheel 26, connection 28, and lever 29, thus constitute oneform of movable lever mechanism; and the controller bars 20, withconnections is, broadly speaking, a train connecting this levermechanism with the supporting means, here illustrated by the hingedlatches 18.

In a similar manner a chain 32 has one end attached to the flanged wheel27, which it surrounds. The other end of the chain 32 is attached to alever 33 which is pivoted at a point 34 on the opposite side of the dumpcar from the pivot 30 of the lever 29. The lever 33 extends in agenerally horizontal direction away from the pivot 34 and past itsconnection with the chain 32 until its end 35 extends beyond the carwheel 12 which is nearest the flanged wheel 27.

The chain 28 and the chain 32 are wound in 26 and 27 respectively. Thuswhen the end 31 of the lever 29 is raised the shaft 24 is turned in onedirection, whereas when the end 35 of the lever 33 is raised, the shaft24 is turned in the opposite direction. Vhen the shaft 24 is rotated theeccentric 23 is also rotated shifting the controller bar 20 eitherforward or backward under the car.

From what has been said it will be evident that by raising one leverend, say35, the control lever 2 0 may be moved forwardly until thelatches assume the position shown in Figure 1, holding the sections 16in closed position. On the other hand by raising the end of the otherlever, say the lever 29, the control lever 20 may be withdrawn into theposition shown in Figs. 3 and 4, releasing the sections 16. The latches18 may, therefore, be moved into latching position by raising the end ofone lever and withdrawn from latching position by raising the end of theother lever. l

I prefer to provide means for raising the lever ends automatically inthe form of cam members 36 and 3? situated at suitable points adjacentthe track over which the dump car moves. Thus, as the front end of thedump car comes to the edge of the dump, the end 31 of the lever 29slides up the cam member 36 extending the chain 28 an d moving theeccentric 2 3, until the latches 18 release the bottom sections 16 ofthe car and the latter fall downwardly. Thus the car is dumped asillustrated in Fig. 3.

At the other side of the pit into which the car is dumped, I provide areplacing rail 38 parallel with and between the rails 13 upon which thecar travels. The replacing rail 38 extends upwardly from a positionwithin the pit to a horizontal position between the rails 13 at theelevation of the floor sections 16 when closed. The floor sections, whendepending as is the first section illustrated in Fig. 3, come in contactwith the replacing rail 38 as the car moves forward and are swung upwardinto closed position by contact with the replacing rail (Fig. 4)

W'hen the car has reached a position where all of the bottom sections 16have ridden up on the replacing rail and are in closed position, the end35 of the lever 33 rides up upon a second cam member o? and the cha-in32 is Vpulled upwardly rotating the flanged wheel 27, the shaft 24 andthe eccentric 23. The control lever is thereby moved forwardly and thelatches 18 engage with the floor sections 16. The dump car is now oncemore in loading position and may be returned to the source of the coaland again loaded.

It will be observed that by latching and unlatching all of the floorsections simultaneously and by properly positioning the cam member 36the floor sections may be released when the-latched end of the firstsection is adjacent Ytheedge ofthe coal pileto which the coal in the caris to be added. The first section dumps at once, its unlatched rear edgeswinging downwardly adjacent the face of the piled coal. A minimum fallis thereby permitted the coal so deposited. The Jollowing sections whenunlatched drop to the level ot' the road-bed between the rails 13, whichbecomes built-up with coal until it will support the sections in latchedposition, even though unlatched, until the face of the pile is reached.Thus little coal is lost between the rails until the edge of the dunipyis reached, but dumping takes place along the edge of the pile as soonas the latch end of each floor section arrives at that point. For thisreason there is no appreciable dropping of the coal and very littlebreakage due to falling.

I may construct one end of the lading body of the car so that it slopesinwardly and upwardly in order to prevent the contents of thecar fromarching over and remaining in the car owing to friction against itssides and ends. The iront ends of the cars illustinted in the drawingsare shown as constructed in this manner. Thus the coal will not archbetween the Jfront axle and the front of the car.

By means or the present invention, it is possible to deposit in ahopper, bin, or depression the softest of coal without breaking it upand incurring large losses through the formation of slack.

While sott coal has been specifically re- 1erred to, it is apparent thatother breakable material may be similarlyT handled with great advantage.The invention is not limited to soft coal nor yet to any particularmaterial.

The details of structure here described and illustrated may be varied byone skilled in the art without departing from the proper scope of thepresent invention. For instance, known means may be provided whereby thelatches may be wit-drawn successively from iront to rear of the car. Insuch a case the `forward iioor section will be released when the lever28 has ridden only part way up the cam member 35, the second oor sectionwill be released when the lever 28 has ridden still farther up the cammember 35, and the third `floor section will be released as the lever 28attains the top of the cam section S5. @ne means for accomplishing' thisresult is the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein a bearing 39 onthe controller bar 20 is completely in contact with a pin l0 on theforward bottom section, while pins l and 4t2 on the succeeding` sectionsextend through slots 43 and 44C respectively ot ditterent length in thecontroller bar 20. This is a well-known method of causing a rod tooperate several parts successively. Obviously other known constructionsfor accomplishing the same result could be employed.

With the understan-ding, therefore, that the invention is not limited tothe details here shown, by way of example I claim:

l. A railway comprising dump cars, bottom sections hinged to one of saidcars torming a substantially fiat bottom therefor1 latches hinged tosaid car adapted to hold said bottom sections in loading position, and amember external to said cars for tripping aid latches and releasing saidsections, in combination with means external to said cars for returningsaid sections to loading position, and a second member external to saidcars ior operating said latches and latching said sections in loadingposition.

2. A railway comprising dump cars, bottom sections hinged to one of saidcars forming a substantially iat bottom therefor, latches hinged to saidcar adapted to hold said bottom sections in loading position, and a cammember external to said cars 'for tripping said latches and releasingsaid sections, in combination with a replacing rail external to saidcars for returning said sections to loading position, and a second cammember external to said cars for operating said latches and latchingsaid sections in loading` position.

3. In a dump car, independent fiat sections forming a dumping bottom,hinges about which said sections are adapted to swing., hinged latchesadapted to hold said sections in loading position by supporting theirtree ends, and a controller bar connecting all ot the hinged latches, incombination with :i mechanism comprising an` eccentric associated withsaid controller bar, a shaft connected to saideccentric, a lever pivotedto the car, and a flexible connection between said shaft and said lever,adapted to withdraw the controller bar and release the sections whensaid lever is elevated.

4. In a dump car, independent flat sections forming-a dumping bottom,hinges about which said sections are adapted to swing, latches adaptedto hold said sections in loading position by supporting their tree ends,and a controller bar connecting all of the latches, in combination witha mechanism comprising aneccentric associated with said controller bar,and shaft connected to said eccentric, a lever pivoted to the car, andaconnection between said shaft and said lever adapted to withdraw' thecontroller bar and release the sections when said lever is elevated.

5. In a railway, the combination with a dump car having hinged bottomsections, and latches to hold the bottom sections in loading positions,of a member externally of the car for tripping the latches to releasethe sections, means for returning the sections to loading positions, anda second member externally of the car for operating the latches to latchthe sections in loading positions.

6. In a railway, the combination with a dump car having hinged bottomsections, and hinged latches to hold the bottom sections in loadingpositions, of a cam member externally of the car for tripping thelatches to release the sections, means externally of the car forreturning the sections to loadiner positions, and a second cam memberexternally of the car for operating the latches to latch the sections inloading positions.

7. In a dump car, the combination of hinged sections forming a dumpingbottom, latches for holding the sections in loading positions, acontroller bar connected with the latches, an eccentric associated withthe controller bar, a shaft connected with the eccentric, a lever, and aconnection between the shaft and lever for actuating the controller bar.

8. In a dump car, the combination of hinged sections forming a dumpingbottom, latches for holding the sections in loading positions, acontroller bar connected with the latches, an eccentric operativelyconnected with the controller bar, a shaft connected with the eccentric,a Vpivoted lever, and a flexible connection between the shaft and leverand adapted to withdraw the controller bar and release the sections onupward movement of the lever.

9. In a dump car, the combination of a plurality of drop-bottom doors,means for hingedly supporting an edge of each of the doors for swingingmovement about an axis extending transversely of the car, latchesengaging the free edges of the doors and mounted for swinging movementabout axes parallel with the door axes, means pivotally supporting thelatches and a longitudinally7 slidable controller bar pivotallyconnecting the latches together for controlling the release of thelatches.

10. In a mine or otherrail car, the combination of car axles, carwheels, a lading body, longitudinal sill-members having upright sectionssubstantially at the level of the horizontal plane of the axes of thewheels, a plurality of transverse drop doors pivotally hinged at theirforward ends and located at least in part below the plane of the axes ofthe wheels, latch mechanisms for releasing the rear end of each of thedoors for dropping, longitudinally movable means located beneath the caraxles and extending substantially from the rear end of the lading bodyof the car forward to an association with the said latch mechanism ofthe forward doors whereby a longitudinal movement of the said movablemeans serves to release for dropping each door forward of the rearwarddoor, and lever means operable from the side of the rear end of the carwhereby its operation creates a longitudinal movement in the saidmovableA means.v

ll. In a dump car,'the'combination'of-a lading body, car wheels, caraxles, a plurality of drop doors having bottoms located at least insubstantial part below the horizontal plane of the axes of the carwheels, longitudinal sill-members having at least substantial portionslying below the horizontal plane of the axes of the car wheels,releasable supporting mechanisms for the free edges of the drop doors, acontroller bar arranged for longitudinal movement in respect of thelading body, and located at least in substantial part below thehorizontal plane of the axes of the car wheels, and extending from therear end of the car forward and connected mechanically with thesupporting mechanisms of the forward door whereby a longitudinal motionof the controller bar will release the forward door for dropping, alever mechanism at the rear end of the car and operable from the sideofthe car either manually or automatically by engagement with a cammechanism alongside the track, and the said lever mechanism beingassociated mechanically with the controller bar whereby a movement ofthe lever mechanism imparts longitudinal motion to the controller barwhereby the forward door is released for dropping.

l2. In a mine or other rail car, the combination of car axles, carwheels, a lading body having a plurality of transverse drop doorspivotally hinged at their forward ends and supported releasably at theirrearward ends and located at least in substantial part below thehorizontal plane of the axes of the car wheels, a lever mechanism at therear end of the lading body of the car and operable from the side of thecar, latch supports for each of the doors, a connecting bar associatingthe lever mechanism mechanically with the rearward door, alongitudinally movable side bar associating the connecting bar with eachforward door whereby a movement of the lever releases the rearward doorfor dropping and also induces a longitudinal movement of the side barwhich in turn causes a releasing movement of the latch supports for eachforward door whereby each said door is released for dropping.

13. In a dumping vehicle, the combination of axles, wh-eels, a ladingbody having a plurality of transversely pivoted drop doors, eachpivotally hinged at one end and supported releasably at the oier end,operating mechanism at the rear end of the lading body and operable fromthe side of the vehicle, a latch support arranged to support the freeend of each of the doors, means associating the operating mechanismmechanically with he rearward door, a longitudinally movable barassociating said means with each forward door, whereby a movement of theoperating mechanism releases the rearward door for dropping and alsoinduces a longitudinal movement of the bar which in turn causes areleasing movement of the latch supports for each forward door, wherebyeach said door is released for dropping.

14. In a mine or other rail car, the combination of side sills, caraxles, car wheels, a lading bottom having a plurality of transverse dropdoors all pivotally hinged at their forward ends and located at least inpart below the horizontal plane of the axes of the car wheels, latchmechanisms for releasing the rear ends of the doors for dropping, saidlatch mechanism for a forward door being mounted for movement in thedirection of the length of the car, means operable from the side of thecar and connected mechanically with the latch mechanisms whereby amovement of said means may release all the doors for droppingsimultaneously, said means extending transversely at least in partintermediate the upright planes of the side sills and located outsidethe lading chamber of the car.

15. In a mine or other rail car, the combination of a car frame havingside sills, car axles, car wheels, a lading bottom having a plurality oftransverse drop doors all pivotally hinged about transverse axes attheir forward ends and located at least in part below the horizontalplane of the axes of the car wheels, said doors being restrained againstlongitudinal shifting with respect to the car frame, a latch mechanismfor releasing the rear end of each of the doors for dropping, said latchmechanism for a forward door ben ing mounted for movement in thedirection of the length of the car, means operable from the side of thecar and connected mechanically with the latch mechanisms whereby amovement of said means releases all the doors for dropping in anyprearranged order, said means extending transversely at least in partintermediate the upright planes of the side sills and outside the ladingchamber of the car.

16. In a dumping vehicle, the combination of a frame havingside-supporting sills, axles, wheels, a lading bottom having a pluralityof transverse doors all pivotally hinged at their forward ends abouttransverse axes and located at least in part below the horizontal planeof the axes of the wheels, said doors being held against longitudinalshifting with respect to the frame, latch mechanisms for releasing therear ends of the doors for dropping, said latch mechanism for a forwarddoor being mounted for movement in the direction of the length of thevehicle, means operable from the side of the vehicle and connectedmechanically with the latch mecha.- nisms, whereby a movement of thesaid means releases all the doors for dropping in any pra arrangedorder, said means having at least a part thereof extending transverselyof the vehicle intermediate the upright planes of the side-supportingsills and outside the lading chamber of the vehicle.

17. In a mine or other rail car, the combination of side sills, caraxles, car wheels, a lading bottom having a plurality of transverse dropdoors all pivotally hinged at their forward ends about transverse axesand located at least in ypart below the horizontal plane of the axes ofthe car wheels, latch mechanisms for releasing the rear ends of thedoors for dropping, said latch mechanism for a forward door beingmounted for movement in the direction of the length of the car, meansoperable from the side of the car and connected mechanically with thelatch mechanisms whereby a movement of said means releases all the doorsfor dropping before the rear edge of any one door has dropped below thelowest part of the structure of the lading body, said means having atleast a part thereof extending transversely of the vehicle intermediatethe upright planes of the side sills and rearwardly of the rear ladingend wall of the car.

18. In a mine or other rail car, the combination of a car frame havingside sills, car axles, car wheels, a lading bottom having a plurality oftransverse drop doors all pivotally hinged at their forward ends abouttransverse axes and located at least in part below the horizontal planeof the axes of the car wheels, said doors being restrained againstlongitudinal shifting with respect to the car frame, latch mechanism forreleasing the rear end of each of the doors for dropping, said latchmechanism for a forward door being mounted for swinging movement in thedirection of the length of the car,lever bar means operable from theside of the car and connected mechanically with the latch mechanismswhereby an upright movement of the lever bar releases all the doors fordropping before the rear edge of any one door has droped below thelowest part of the structure of the lading body, said lever bar meanshaving at least a part thereof extending transversely of the carintermediate the upright planes of the side sills and spaced rearwardlyof the rear lading end wall of the car.

19. In a mine or other rail car, the combination of side sills, caraxles, car wheels, a lading bottom having a plurality of transverse dropdoors all pivotally hinged at their forward ends and latched releasablyat their rearward ends, the body being in hopper.

form whereby there is complete discharge of the lading by gravitybetween the rails and on both sides of each axle of the car,.the saiddrop doors having bottoms located at least in substantial part below thehorizontal plane of the axes of the c r wheels, latch releasingmechanisms for all of the doors, said latch mechanism for a forward doorbeing mounted for movement in the direction of the length of the car, abar controlling the latch releasing mechanisms, and the doors beingreleased by a movement of said bar whereby all doors may besimultaneously released for dropping, said bar having at least a partthereof extending transversely of the car intermediate the uprightplanes of the side sills and disposed outside the lading chamber of thecar.

20. In a mine or other rail car, the combination of side sills, a earframe, car axles, car wheels, a lading bottom having a plurality oftransverse drop doors all pivotally hinged at their forward ends andlatched releasably at their rearward ends, said doors being held againstlongitudinal shifting with respect to the car frame, the body being inhopper-form whereby there is complete discharge of the lading by gravitybetween the rails and on both sides of each aXle of the car, the saiddrop doors having bottoms located at least in substantial part below thehorizontal plane of the axes of the car wheels, latch releasingmechanisms for all of the doors, said latch mechanism for a forward doorbeing mounted for movement in the direction of the length of the car, alever bar controlling the latch releasing mechanisms, and the doorsbeing released by a movement of the lever bar whereby all doors may besimultaneously released for dropping, said lever bar having at least apart thereof eX- tending transversely of the car intermediate theupright planes of the side sills and spaced rearwardly of the car ladingchamber.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JAMES L. GETAZ.

